'24 EXPOSURES': Two and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
Indie filmmaker Joe Swanberg (who recently made the outstanding 'DRINKING BUDDIES') wrote and directed this ultra-low budget mumblecore/slasher flick starring Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett. Wingard and Barrett are filmmakers too (mostly horror) and have worked with Swanberg before on films like 'V/H/S' and 'YOU'RE NEXT' (which they wrote and directed and Swanberg acted in). Many others in the cast have also previously worked with the three before; like actresses Helen Rogers, Sophia Takal and Hannah Fierman (all in 'V/H/S'). I like a lot of Wingard, Barrett and Swanberg's other work but this film, I'd say, is one of their weakest.
Wingard plays Billy in the movie; a photographer who's made a career out of selling morbid fetish photos (mainly of naked women posed as dead people). His partner is his girlfriend Alex (Caroline White), who helps him hire models and sometimes invites them home for threesomes (with her and Billy). Barrett plays a depressed homicide detective named Michael Bamfeaux, who's been obsessing over his ex. He's investigating the murder of a recent model, that was hired by Billy and Alex for a recent shoot. More girls turn up dead, of course, and it looks like Billy could be the killer.
The film is pretty exploitative; there's a lot of explicit sex, nudity and disturbing imagery. The main storyline, involving the twisted photographer, is pretty disturbing as well; especially because they present him as a pretty nice and mostly normal guy (who just really likes sex and twisted pictures). The movie tries to explore why Billy does what he does but it never really gives a satisfying answer. I did like the attempt though. I admire the movie's ambition and think it could have done a lot more if it wasn't restrained by it's micro-budget and poor production values. I always think filmmakers (and their films) deserve points for trying; especially if they're trying to do something unique and different, like this is.
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